The Buckner Homestead Historic District, near

Stehekin, Washington Stehekin is a small unincorporated community in Chelan County, Washington. The name "Stehekin" comes from a word in the Salishan language that means "the way through". Stehekin has somewhat more than 100 permanent residents, but vacationers and ...

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is a national recreation area located about south of the Canada–US border in Chelan County, Washington. It encompasses an area of including the northern end of Lake Chelan and the surrounding area of t ...

incorporates a group of structures relating to the theme of early settlement in the

Lake Chelan Lake Chelan ( ) is a narrow, long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S. It is an overdeepened lake and resembles a fjord, with an average width of . Near its upper end, the lake surface lies more than below peaks less t ...

area. Representing a time period of over six decades, from 1889 to the 1950s, the district comprises 15 buildings, landscape structures and ruins, and over of land planted in orchard and criss-crossed by hand-dug irrigation ditches. The oldest building on the farm is a cabin built in 1889. The Buckner family bought the farm in 1910 and remained there until 1970, when the property was sold to the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

. The Buckner Cabin was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1974. The rest of the Buckner farm became a historic district in 1989. Today, the National Park Service maintains the Buckner homestead and farm as an

interpretive center An interpretation centre, interpretive centre, or visitor interpretive centre is an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage. Interpretation centres are a kind of new-style museum, often associated with visitor c ...

to give visitors a glimpse at pioneer farm life in the Stehekin Valley.

Bill Buzzard

The property that became the Buckner farm was originally settled by William (Bill) Buzzard. It is located several miles north of Lake Chelan along the

Stehekin River The Stehekin River is a river located in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It is the main river flowing into Lake Chelan. Miners arrived in Stehekin River Valley in the late 19th century. They were followed by ho ...

. When Buzzard arrived in 1889, his parcel was the farthest

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...

from the Stehekin settlement at the head of the lake. Buzzard built a one-story

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...

on the site, and cleared some land for pasture and cultivation. In 1892, Buzzard shipped 1,000 pounds of potatoes down Lake Chelan to the town of

Chelan, Washington Chelan ( ) is a city in Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The estimated population was 4,222 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It lies on the southeast tip of Lake Chelan, where ...

and sold the rest of his crop to local miners. By 1895, Buzzard had planted a small

apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

and was growing cabbages as well as potatoes. Buzzard also cut cordwood on his property and sold it to the

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

company that operated on Lake Chelan. According to a 1902

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

report on "agricultural settlement" in the Stehekin area, William Buzzard had a three-room house, log barn, and of cultivated land. On 9 November 1903, Buzzard officially purchased his homestead from the

United States Government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...

. He later sold to a neighbor.Luxenberg, Gretchen A.
"Buzzard"
, ''Historic Resource Study'', North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, Seattle, Washington, 1986.

Buckner family

In 1910, Buzzard sold his remaining property to a

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

n named William Buckner for $5,000. Instead of a lump-sum payment, Buzzard wanted $50 per month until the total amount was paid. After selling the property, Buzzard moved to Chelan where he lived until his death in 1919. When Buzzard died, Buckner was only one payment short of completing the agreement so he used the final $50 payment to purchase a

headstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The u ...

for Buzzard, who was buried in the Old Fraternal Cemetery in Chelan.Hudak, Renee, ''Buckner Homestead Historic District Self-Guided Walk'', Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park Complex, Northwest Interpretive Association, Seattle, Washington, 1998. In 1911, Buckner brought his wife and three sons to the farm (also call the "Buckner ranch"). Upon arrival, the family found most of the land covered with stumps because the timber had been cut and sold by the previous owner. Over the next several years, the family cleared enough stumps to plant a apple orchard. The Buckners also designed an

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

system that diverted water from Rainbow Creek to their orchard. The main irrigation canal and watering

ditches A ditch is a small to moderate trench created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches a ...

, totaling over four miles (6 km), were all dug by hand during the summer of 1911.Luxenberg, Gretchen A.
"Buckner"
, ''Historic Resource Study'', North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, Seattle, Washington, 1986.
, ''North Cascade Challenger'', Visitor Information Guide 2006-2007, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 1 May 2006. Initially, the Buckner family only lived on the ranch during the summer, moving back to

in the fall to avoid Stehekin's harsh winters. However the family returned each spring to work their farm. Over the next few years, they constructed a variety of buildings for protecting animals, sheltering farm equipment, and preserving food. Eventually, the Buckner ranch had more than a dozen structures including a

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

, workshop, milk house,

smokehouse A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is curing (food preservation), cured with Smoking (cooking), smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.outhouse An outhouse — known variously across the English-speaking world otherwise as bog, dunny, long-drop, or privy — is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket ...

, sleeping cabins for guests or hired hands, and several general-purpose

sheds A shed is typically a simple, single-storey (though some sheds may have two or more stories and or a loft) roofed structure, often used for storage, for hobbies, or as a workshop, and typically serving as outbuilding, such as in a back garde ...

. They also built a mile of wooden fence to enclose their entire property. Buckner Homestead residence

In 1915, Harry Buckner, one of William's sons, took up permanent residence at the ranch. In 1919, Harry married a young lady from Stehekin and she joined him at the ranch. Since William Buckner and his wife continued to live in Bill Buzzard's log cabin during the summer months until 1924, Harry expanded one of sleeping cabins into a home for himself and his new wife, Olive. Harry and Olive worked hard to make the farm a comfortable place to live. They raised pigs, cows and chickens. The family grew vegetables in their garden, and planted large flower beds. When the family decided they wanted electric lights, Harry converted a smokehouse into a power generator house. Harry also built a play house for his three young daughters; and when the girls were older, he constructed a concrete

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

, fed by farm's irrigation system. In 1922, the Buckners built a large packing shed to protect their apple harvest. In the 1930s and 1940s, the farm produced between 4,000 and 5,000 crates of apple each season. That was enough fruit to fill their by packing shed. This was the peak of the farm's production. Olive Buckner died in 1948. Harry continued to live on the ranch and eventually remarried. In 1953, the packing shed roof collapsed under a heavy winter snow load. In 1956, Buckner retired from farming and became Stehekin's

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

. In 1970, Buckner sold the homestead and most of his property to the National Park Service, retaining a parcel of land for his retirement home. He lived there until his death in 1976.

National Park Service

After purchasing the Buckner property, the National Park Service incorporated it into the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. The Buckner homestead and farm has been preserved, and is used by the National Park Service as an

to show visitors what pioneer life was like in the Stehekin Valley. Although it is no longer a commercial farm, horses still graze in the Buckner's pasture, water still flows through the irrigation ditches, and apples are still harvested from the orchard in the fall. While some changes have been made to the building in order to preserve them, many of the structures are still in use for their intended purpose, including the main house which is now home for a National Park Service employee. Because of its unique historic value as an original settler's homestead, the Buckner Cabin (originally built by William Buzzard) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 (NRHP #74000912). In 1989, the remaining elements of the Buckner farm were joined with the cabin to create the Buckner Homestead Historic District.

Historic structures

The Buckner Homestead Historic District comprises 15 buildings, various landscape features, some old structural ruins, and approximately of apple orchard which is irrigated by hand-dug ditches. *The original William Buzzard Cabin was built in 1889. It was a one-story log cabin measuring by . In 1910, Buzzard added over to the length of the cabin, making it by . After purchasing the homestead, Buckner added a massive river-stone

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design. ...

and chimney in 1911. The cabin has a stone and concrete floor, log walls, and a wood shake roof. The Buckner's used the cabin as a primary residence until 1924, when it became a guest house. The National Park Service renovated the cabin in 1980, and stabilized the structure in 1999. The cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Buckner Cabin."Buckner Homestead-Buzzard Cabin"
, List of Classified Structures (LCS ID: 006718), National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, 14 February 2009. *The Buckner homestead's main residence was originally built in 1914 as a by summer sleeping cabin. The Buckner family added a by living room in 1915, and another bedroom and a large fireplace in 1921. A third bedroom and a kitchen were added in 1925. The National Park Service added a porch in 1983, and re-roofed the house 1975 and again in 1999. It is a wood-frame house on a stone and concrete foundation; the walls are

weatherboard Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of those terms, is wooden siding (construction), siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping. ''Cla ...

, and it has a metal roof. *The Buckner homestead

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

barn and workshop was built in 1949. It is a two-story building with a large hay loft and gable roof. The building's footprint measures by . It is a wood-frame structure on a concrete foundation with weatherboard siding and a metal roof. The main entrance is a large wood-panel sliding door on the north side of the building. *The Buckner's Milk House was built in 1916. It is a by one-story, wood-frame structure on a raised concrete foundation with an overhanging gable roof. The National Park Service rehabilitated the building in 1979. *The "Delco House" provided electricity for the farm. Originally, built as a smokehouse in 1915, it was converted to house the Delco power generator in 1925. It is a one-story, wood-frame structure on a by concrete foundation. The building has weatherboard siding and a wooden shake roof. *The farm's wood and

harness A harness is a looped restraint or support. Specifically, it may refer to one of the following harness types: * Bondage harness * Child harness * Climbing harness * Dog harness * Five-point harness, a type of seatbelt * Horse harness * Pet harnes ...

shed was built in 1950. It is a one-story, log-frame structure on a concrete foundation with a wooden gabled roof. The building measure by . The National Park Service replaced the shed roof in 1980, and accomplished addition preservation work in 2005."Buckner Homestead-Woodshed/Harness Shed"
, List of Classified Structures (LCS ID: 006727), National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, 14 February 2009. Other buildings on the Buckner farm include a sleeping house, tool and equipment sheds, root cellar, chicken coops, outhouse, and a children's play house. The Buckner's swimming pool is included on the National Park Services inventory of structures, however, it is kept empty for safety reasons. Old farm equipment, like the Buckner's 1911 Hercules Stump Puller and several farm trucks, are also on display. The National Park Service maintains the Buckner's orchard, harvesting its apples every fall.

Notes

References

External links

- National Park Service
Buckner Homestead Heritage Foundation
{{National Register of Historic Places in Washington Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Buildings and structures in Stehekin, Washington Tourist attractions in Chelan County, Washington Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) National Register of Historic Places in Chelan County, Washington